I wanted to share the farm’s Plum Torte Recipe with you. Its a great way to use up your plums.

All the best,

Nadine

September 5, 2018

Dear Members,

This week is the start of our fall vegetable harvest with Butternut Squash and RomanescoCauliflower making their debut. Romanesco Cauliflower is a fun tree shaped vegetable that is packed with flavor and a conversation piece. While it is a variety of cauliflower its flavor profile is closer to broccoli. Prepare it like broccoli. Stoneledge’s butternut squash are sweet and tasty, roasting or steaming them yields great results.

Eggplant has thrived this season. We would like to share thisgreat article with you on preparing this verstile veggie : 15 Easy Eggplant Recipes

The Farm shared the following tips with us this week:

Butternut Squash: Should be used up quickly. Again, due to all the rain they will not hold as long as normal. There are many ways you can cook this squash, boiled, baked, sautéed. Anyway you choose it will be delicious! Try these great recipes.

Butternut Squash Stuffed with Quinoa and Mushrooms

Sautéed Butternut Squash with Garlic, Ginger & Spices

Tomatillos: Great is Mexican or Spanish cooking! Make them spicy, make them sweet. Either way works!

Please do not let the winter squash sit for to long. It should really be used up pretty quickly. Due to all the rain it will not hold long.

All the best,

Nadine

Lexington Ave CSA Coordinator

August 20, 2018

Dear Members,

This week we received all the ingredients for a great ratatouille salad. The recipe I am sharing calls for tarragon but feel free to use this week's basil or any left over thyme from last week instead. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/grilled-ratatouille-salad

Since Labor Day falls on a Monday, September 3rd our pick up that week will take place on Thursday, September 6, 2018.

The Fall Farm Festival and Potluck is Saturday, September 1st on the farm from 11:30 AM-3 PM.

Sweet Corn will only be available until September 6th, Week 14.

Nadine

Lexington Ave CSA Coordinator

August 19, 2018

Dear Members,

The Fall Farm Festival and Potluck is 3 weeks away. Saturday, September 1st here on the farm. from 11:30 AM-3 PM. Chelsea CSA is chartering a bus to the farm. The cost of the bus tickets are $5 per person.

The bus will leave from the Chelsea CSA/Hudson Guild Elliott Center, 441 West 26th St, New York, New York 10001 at 8:00 AM and is expected to return at 6:00 PM.

Bring your family and friends for a day on the farm. It is a great day to visit the farm and see how your vegetables are grown, meet your farmers, and walk the fields.

The farm will grill pork and sweet corn along with a Stoneledge Farm Vegetable Chili made by Kim and Mickael of Paradis to Go http://paradistogo.com. There will be Stoneledge Farm Coffee, and water to drink. We ask that members bring a dish to share so that lunch is a giant potluck get together. If possible, please bring your place settings, utensils, and cup. No pets, please.

Tortillas and shredded cheese – Saute your vegetables and greens mix in a little cheese voila and a quesadilla.

Grains – Wheat berries, farro, rice, couscous, bulgur, quinoa…and any other grain you can think of can be tossed with roasted bite-size vegetables and your favorite cheese, drizzled with olive oil and either vinegar or lemon juice and made into a delicious salad. Grains can also be a nice addition to frittatas, soups and other dishes you might make with your CSA bounty.

Beans – Whether dried or canned, having lentils, black beans, garbanzos, canelinnis, pintos and other beans around means you’re never stuck if you forgot to take the meat out of the freezer. Make soup, a burrito, a salad and more with this inexpensive protein.

Soy sauce, rice vinegar and brown sugar – These three ingredients plus your vegetables are all you need for a stir-fry. Adding grated ginger (keep it in the freezer) and chopped garlic makes it even better. It’s worth investing in a bottle of toasted sesame oil to drizzle on top of the finished product.

Good olive oil – buy a good bottle and use it only for making dressings or drizzling over dishes just before you eat them. Buy a cheaper bottle for cooking.

Salad dressing ingredients – You may have your favorite recipe, but homemade dressing is the perfect complement to fresh spring greens. I always start with a dollop of Dijon mustard, add a pinch of salt and pepper, some chopped herbs if I have them, then one part vinegar and three parts olive oil (more or less, depending on your taste). Shake or stir it up and you’re ready to go.

Flour and yeast – mainly for making homemade pizza dough. Nothing better then a fresh veggie Pizza at the height of summer

Lemons – A squeeze of lemon right before you serve your vegetables brightens the flavors

Triage

We are lucky enough that Stoneledge picks our vegetables the day before pick up. The vegetables are fresh and at the peak of flavor. Try to eat the vegetables that are more perishable first.

The Labor Day Week pick up will take place Thursday, September 6, 2018

Columbus Day Week will take place Thursday, October 11, 2018

First Fruit Delivery (Last day to add a fruit share June 29, 2018)

July 2, 2018

Monthly delivery dates for the optional Coffee and Dry Bean shares

June - June 4, 2018

July - July 9, 2018

August - July 30, 2018

September - August 27, 2018

October - October 1, 2018

November - October 29, 2018

All the best,

Nadine

Lexington Ave CSA Coordinator

June 1, 2018

Dear Members,

Our first pick up will take place Monday June 4, 2018. There are a few things you can do to ensure a successful season.

1. Clean out your fridge this weekend, this will give you the space you need to store your produce easily.

2. Go to our website (http://www.lexavecsa.com/share/ ) and check out what is coming for the week. We post a preliminary list on Friday evenings and the final counts on Sundays. This will help with your grocery shopping and menu planning.

3. While the farm (https://www.stoneledge.farm/recipes/) and core members try to share recipes each week think about picking up some seasonal recipe cookbooks or check out websites like:

This week we are getting three types of lettuce, radishes, rhubarb, herbs and bok choy. Leafy greens love the month of June. Make sure you have the ingredients to make salad dressing. Lettuce cups and stir fry recipes are great ways to consume your leafy greens if you don’t want to make a salad. One of the best ways to store you lettuce is to wrap it in a paper towel put it in a plastic bowl or plastic bag and store it in the crisper drawer of your fridge. If it takes a few days to get that head of lettuce and it looks a little limp immerse it in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes it will perk right back up. This works for celery and carrots too!

We hope these tips help! If you have any suggestions, recipes, and best practices please share with us.

All the best,

Nadine

Lexington Ave CSA Coordinator

May 8, 2018

Dear Past and Future Members,

One month to go before the CSA season starts and we have lots to share!

Stoneledge is running a promotion called Refer a friend. Any current CSAmember who refers a friend to sign up at a CSA location for the 2018 season, will receive a $10 coupon code to the Stoneledge Farm Marketplace. How does it work? Refer and friend to sign up for the 2018 season at any of the Stoneledge Farms CSA locations. Once your referred friend signs up email the farm info@stoneledge.farm with your friends name for your $10 marketplace coupon! The promotion ends May 31, 2018 The coupon is valid from May 28, 2018, and expires on June 30, 2018.

The Farm is hosting its annual spring visit this Saturday, May, 12, 2018 from 1-3:30 PM. This is great opportunity meet our farmer, tour the fields of a certified organic farm and purchase locally grown food, grass fed meat and wool during the visit. Email info@stoneledge.farm to RSVP.

We also wanted to let you know that Iliamna Fish Company Community-Supported Fishery registration portal is open. Each wild sockeye salmon share is 12 lbs of bled, chilled, flash-frozen, and vacuum sealed wild Alaskan sockeye that will be caught for you this summer in the Kvichak and Naknek sections of Bristol Bay, Alaska. Each 12 lb share contains approximately 6 to 7 whole, sashimi-grade fillets. This is a "one-time" share, meaning that you'll only pick up once (it's not a subscription). Each 12 lb share costs $215 total. Sign up using this link:https://www.redsalmon.com/app/signin/?pid=11

Feel free to contact Emily (emily@redsalmon.com) or Christopher (christopher@redsalmon.com) If you have any question. Please note that the signup list will close at 10 PM on Friday, June 1st, 2018 or when we have reached our capacity, whichever comes first.

Interested in a half share? Contact us at Lexavecsa@gmail.com and we will partner you up with another member.

Where are we located? Church of the Advent Hope, Community Rm111 E 87 St., (Bet. Lexington Ave. & Park Ave.) New York, NY 10128

We are excited to let you know that Stoneledge's annual Spring Farm Visit is on May, 12th, 2018 from 1-3:30pm. This will give you the opportunity to visit a certified organic working farm. You will also have the chance to meet the Kavakos Family, the crew and tour the farm weather permitting. You will also be able to purchase items from the farm's Market place and neighboring farms.

All are welcome members and non-members alike! Please, RSVP if you would like to attend info@stoneledge.farm

Want to see the progress Stoneledge has made this planting season? Go to Facebook.

The 2018 CSA season is quickly approaching our Farmers will be planting seeds over the next few weeks. It has been a busy winter for our Farmers Pete Jr. and Candice not only were they getting the farm ready for the 2018 growing season. They welcomed their daughter Grace into the world this winter. Hopefully, Grace will continue with the Kavakos tradition of certified organic farming.

Stoneledge revamped their website making it mobile and user friendly. The new website will now allow share partners to pay for their part of the share separately and access the market place with their own user name and passwords. You also have the option of paying for your shares over the course of four payments. The site also has a recipe page to help inspire your cooking!

Regarding the 2018 growing season. Peter Jr. reported that he is experimenting with different winter squash varieties. Last year they found how well the protective nets allowed our cauliflower to flourish. They are going to test the nets on our leafy greens this year. They are also experimenting with a variety of organic popcorn that can be ground into cornmeal if you choose. They hope to send a herb transplant for our members this year again.

Deborah, our original famer and Peter’s mom decided retirement was boring and began raising Merino Corriedale sheep. Yarn made from their wool will be on sale through the market place this season.

The farm will be hosting a Farm visit at the end of May we will keep you posted with the date.

If you are looking to keep your tomatoes fresh, here's a tip, don't store them in the fridge, they'll lose their flavor! If you allow them to sit on the counter they'll continue to ripen (but watch them regularly! They won't last forever!)

This is a great week to make some Mexican recipes! Though you'll have to buy some avocados and lime, try a classic guacamole with this week's red onion, hot pepper and cilantro (Jamie calls it coriander in the recipe) and tomato (doesn't have to be a cherry tomato!) . Watch out though, you probably only need half of one of our share's peppers, they're HOT HOT HOT!

Or try a tomato salsa!

I've sent this recipe before, but I thought I'd send again... Mark Bitman's raw beet salad is wonderful with Golden beets as well! (and less likely to stain everything in sight like a red beet).

That's all I have for this week. I hope you are keeping well fed and I hope to see you at the farm this Saturday for the Annual Stoneledge Farm Fall Festival! It's a bit of a trek to travel upstate, but what a great opportunity to see the farm where our food is growing! If you need the details one more time you can find them below my signature...

ALSO KEEP IN MIND: This week's pick up will come on Thursday Sept 7th instead of Monday September 4!

LauraLexington Ave CSA Core Memberhttp://www.lexavecsa.com

We hope that you will mark your calendar with the upcoming Fall Farm Festival. The Fall Farm Festival will be held on the farm September 2nd from 11:30-3:00. Please use the 145 Garcia Lane, Leeds, NY 12451 address. There are directions on the farm website Contact Us tab or using your GPS. If you are traveling from NYC you might be interested in the bus that Chelsea CSA in sponsoring. $5 per person, if you are interested click HERE and sign up ASAP. Space is limited.

The Festival is a great day to come to the farm and see how your vegetables are grown, meet your farmers and walk the fields. We have the grill hot and will have pork as well as grilled Sweet Corn and Portobello Mushrooms and vegetarian chili. Pork and Chili will be made by Kim and Mickael of Paradis to Go http://paradistogo.com. There will be fresh fruit, Stoneledge Farm Coffee, and water. We ask that members bring a dish to share so that lunch is a giant pot luck get together. If possible, please bring your own place settings, utensils, and cup. No pets, please.

Attending this years Farm Visit:

Local Bee Keeper- With an observation hive and Local Honey for Sale.

Heather Ridge Farm- Local grass fed meats for sale.

http://www.heather-ridge-farm.com/

Lime Kiln Farm will be attending with local artisanal cheeses.

http://www.limekilnfarm.com/#

*Please, bring a freezer bag if you are interested in purchasing any of these items.

There are flowers to pick and take home from the flower garden. If you would like to take flowers home, please bring your own scissors and something that will keep the flowers until you get home. Wet paper towels or newspapers in a plastic bag will usually do the trick. There will be an “I Spy” game for kids of all ages as well as scarecrow making!

It is a great day on the farm and we look forward to seeing you there!

Enjoy the Harvest,

Candice for Everyone at Stoneledge Farm

August 22, 2017

Hello fellow organic food warriors,

This week's email will focus on the mystery ingredient: Tomatillos!

Don't be intimidated by this tangy, unfamiliar fruit! Here are a few great idea for how to use up those tomatillos:

P.S. The menu last week went great with some heavy revisions! I'm sure the recipes sounded exotic to you, but they were old favorites for me and felt simple. The trick to CSA cooking is to fall back on favorites year after year. So don't be discouraged if this is your first year, next year you'll find yourself looking forward to particular ingredients and combinations. And in case you were wondering I did not bake any bread in this crazy heat and summer excitement--that was a silly dream. Fairway to the rescue. ;)

August 15, 2017

Hello friends,

I haven't heard from anyone about the recipes in a while, so I'll take that to mean that you are settled into a routine with how to use your share. Each week I find I have to hold the veggies in my hands before I can formulate a plan for what to do with them..

This week I'd like to try something different and show you a little bit what my week's menus will look like. We are having a busy week with two special nights with dinner guests visiting from out of town, so I'm feeling sentimental and headed to a few of my comfort foods (ahem... lots of bread)

Tuesday: Julia Child's classic Potato and Leek soup -- so simple, so good. I'll pair it with a crusty bread, Artisan bread in five minutes a day if I can find the time... or a baguette from Fairway.

If you are looking for new ideas of what to do with your zucchini, try making zucchini butter to use as a spread on many things (or eat right out of the pan. Feeding someone gluten-free or paleo? Try this zucchini pizza crust that looks really yummy.

Ok, I hope that give you some inspiration! Most of all, I hope you enjoy!If at any time, you find you're not enjoying the recipes, feel free to send me feedback or ask to unsubscribe from the recipe emails.

Likewise, if you discover a fantastic recipe for one of our ingredients, please share the wealth! Special thanks to Nadine Nader who has passed along to me a stash of many helpful recipes.

All the best,

Laura

Lexington Ave CSA Core Member

August 1, 2017

Hello Fellow lovers of farm fresh vegetables!

Are you still loving your share? Some weeks it can feel hard to love this unruly assortment of veggies. Or to eat them before they go bad. But we are at the peak season right now with a lot of yummy and diverse ingredients to work from (those tomatoes!), so I hope you feel inspired and not too overwhelmed.

Here are some recipes for the week ahead:

Purple basil looks different in a recipe than green basil, so use it creatively! Last night, I put some in a pesto that turned out yummy but sort of brown looking. Ha!

If the purple color puts you off, Nadine recommends breaking up the basil leaves and mixing them with sea salt to cure for a week or two-it will give its flavor to the salt, but not the color, you could also try this quick recipe for basil salt from the food network. Candice at the farm also recommends placing a good number of the leaves in white wine vinegar.

Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy the week and share with the rest of us what works for you (and what doesn't!) this week.

If at any time, you find you're not enjoying the recipes, feel free to send me feedback or ask to unsubscribe from the recipe emails.

Likewise, if you discover a fantastic recipe for one of our ingredients, please share the wealth! Special thanks to Nadine Nader who has passed along to me a stash of many helpful recipes.

All the best,

Laura

Lexington Ave CSA Core Member

July 25, 2017

Hello Lex Ave subscribers!

I hope you are staying warm and dry this gray rainy Tuesday!

This week's share is generous, showing off the great year they are having at the farm. Candace from Stoneledge Farm writes that since last week was sunny the tomatoes were thriving. They are also celebrating this years garlic harvest, writing that "The garlic is the best garlic harvest we have had in 8 years! It is beautiful! The past winter and prime soil conditions really helped the garlic to thrive. The cold and the blanketing snow was key! The garlic will hang to cure in the barn for 3 months. We are very excited to hand it out!"

Since Candace also recommends to use the basil right away, consider a simple basil pesto--wonderful spread on pizza and bread, or tossed with pasta. Keep in mind that you can use other nuts like almonds or walnuts (because pine nuts can be pricey!), or add in other greens (like a few leaves of the spinach). You can also leave out the cheese and freeze the pesto in an ice cube tray to keep it up to six months. Just add the cheese when you thaw.

A great way to use the lovely eggplants this week would be an eggplant parmesan--find my go to recipe from Jamie Oliver here. I like his recipe because it cuts out the step of breading and pan frying the eggplant, roasting it in the oven for a few minutes instead. The simpler the better!

July is for grilling, so you might enjoy eggplant burgers--a great vegetarian grill substitute (No grill? Me either. Try your oven's broil setting). This recipe includes a layer of melted dressing, spices and cheese that adds zip.

Another great option for eggplant is to curry it! Try this yummy recipe for an eggplant and tomato curry.

Are you stuck on any of our ingredients this week? Be sure to ask at pickup or shoot me an email if you are having trouble with anything!

If at any time, you find you're not enjoying the recipes, feel free to send me feedback or ask to unsubscribe from the recipe emails.

Likewise, if you discover a fantastic recipe for one of our ingredients, please share the wealth! Special thanks to Nadine Nader who has passed along to me a stash of many helpful recipes.

All the best,LauraLexington Ave CSA Core Member

July 18, 2017

Hello CSA members!

This week's veggies took up less space in my shopping bags but were heavy with goodness!

The buzz in the pickup line today was that it's a great week for pickling. If you'd like to make quick "refrigerator pickles" that will last a week or so in your fridge try a recipe like this one from MarthaStewart.com for a sweet bread and butter pickle flavor. Follow along with the video here! Thank you to Charles for recommending these great links!

This is the second week we've seen eggplant in our shares. Gwendy has sent along a recipe for steaming eggplant in the microwave that might come in handy for you on a day when you're in a rush.

A few friends who purchased the fruit share mentioned that they were disappointed that their cherries aren't too sweet. Baking with cherries that are less sweet is a great way to use them up. Try a roasted cherry dutch baby for example, or save yourself the need to pit the cherries and make a simple cherry syrup.

And speaking of sweetening things up, if you'd like to make a dessert out of your summer squash this week, try this recipe for Zucchini Bread from the team at Stoneledge Farm:

More Recipes on the Farm Website - https://www.stoneledge.farm/csa-program/recipes

Good luck!

If at any time, you find you're not enjoying the recipes, feel free to send me feedback or ask to unsubscribe from the recipe emails.

Likewise, if you discover a fantastic recipe for one of our ingredients, please share the wealth! Special thanks to Nadine Nader who has passed along to me a stash of many helpful recipes.

All the best,LauraLexington Ave CSA Core Member

July 15, 2017

Hello Lex Ave CSA subscribers!

Welcome to week 6! Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom to get the latest important reminders from the CSA core members.

This week at pick up there was a certain buzz around particular ingredients...

The cucumbers and mint promise to make some truly refreshing cold drinks for these hot July days. Try them in cucumber lemonade or cucumber mojitos!

The fennel is an ingredient we haven't seen until this week. Play up the licorice flavor in the bulbs by sauteeing them in a rich sauce for roast pork (if you eat pork, that is). This Kitchn list of five ways to use fennel stalks and fronds also points out that fennel pairs well with fish or can be added to stocks. If you still feel lost, try this crowd pleasing fennel parmesan gratin that will convert even a fennel skeptic.

As you enjoy your summer squash, you may find that Alton Brown's recent Food Network episode interesting. He includes a recipe for overstuffed patty pan squash (those UFO-looking ones) that is definitely worth trying. (Video here and recipe here).

Enjoy your eggplant with a recipe like this one for easy ratatouille with chicken (or without if you don't eat chicken).

Escarole is the last veggie that seems tricky to me this week. Candice at the farm writes: "It looks smaller to lettuce but it is an Italian cooking green. It pairs well will Chicken and beans. It is very popular cooked with white beans. It is a bitter green but has a milder flavor when cooked." Try this recipe for charred escarole.

And for those of you subscribing to the fruit share (or even if you aren't), Nadine especially asked me to revisit a recipe she sent last year for crustless blueberry pie, which mixes up in ten minutes or so, but looks amazing! It is the height of blueberry season, so enjoy!

Finally, keep in mind that ever week there are items available for bulk order on the Stoneledge Marketplace Website. This week's offerings are:

Any orders placed by noon on Friday are guaranteed to be delivered at Monday’s pick up. Orders after noon on Friday may not arrive until the following week.

Enjoy your week!

If at any time, you find you're not enjoying the recipes, feel free to send me feedback or ask to unsubscribe from the recipe emails--I won't be offended!

Likewise, if you discover a fantastic recipe for one of our ingredients, please share the wealth! Special thanks to Nadine Nader who has passed along to me a stash of many helpful recipes.

All the best,LauraLexington Ave CSA Core Member

July 3, 2017

Hello Lexington Avenue CSA subscribers,

Welcome to week five! If you have ordered an additional fruit share you can be excited that it has its first delivery this week. (And all the rest of us can be suitably jealous of your cherries and strawberries!)

The farm sends word that the rain and sun have come in a very nice balance this year, so crops are flourishing!

This week we will see Napa Cabbage for the first time. Fellow CSA member Rebecca sent this yummy recipe for spicy stir fried cabbage along the last time we had a cabbage variety in the box. She added water chestnuts and cashews, then substituted red bell pepper for the carrot. Delicious over rice!

If you'd like to try something different with your cabbage, consider Shoyu cabbage soup, Cabbage and mushroom "lasagna," or even caraway cabbage chips with dill yogurt. But if you are paralyzed by all these choices, remember that cabbage will last pretty well in the crisper drawer of the fridge for up to a month or longer.

We will also see another head of Frisee in our boxes, why not try a special salad that features this lettuce with pears and manchego cheese (one of my all time favorites!) Pears go so wonderfully with the slightly bitter greens and tart, spicy mustard! If you don't have pears on hand you could also try this recipe for Lyonaisse salad with apples and bacon vinaigrette.

It's our first week seeing summer squash! If you'd like to try something decadent with the squash consider this cheesy gratin made with salsa verde. If you are looking for something lighter and more summery, try this couscous salad with the sweetness of sultanas (or raisins), the crunch of pistachios, and the freshness of mint.

I hope that gives you some interesting ideas!

If at any time, you find you're not enjoying the recipes, feel free to send me feedback or ask to unsubscribe from the recipe emails--I won't be offended!

Likewise, if you discover a fantastic recipe for one of our ingredients, please share the wealth! Special thanks to Nadine Nader who has passed along to me a stash of many helpful recipes.

All the best,LauraLexington Ave CSA Core Member

June 30, 2017

Hello Lexington Ave CSA subscribers!

I'm woefully late with the recipe email this week, I've had a whopper of a few days, but I wanted to share a few favorite recipes that use week four's ingredients.

**Also this is a reminder that there IS a CSA pick up this upcoming week on Monday July 3rd**

Week Four was the first week we've seen beets in the boxes. Try these two different takes for different approaches to this yummy ingredient. In one, the beets are chopped roughly in a food processor (you can also grate them) to make a surprisingly yummy cold salad that will keep well in the fridge for several days.

In the other recipe from Bon Appetit's "Cooking without recipes" series, the beets are grilled first, to release their earthy sweetness, then mixed with herbs and spices.

This is also our first week to see kale. It can be a bit of a polarizing leafy green, but I love it! Try this recipe, from the same Bon Appetit series, to mix the kale with a can of white beans and come out with a simple, yummy meal.

We had chard in our boxes for the second week, and I couldn't get my six year old daughter to slow down when I served it in a simple gravy over rice (a bit like this recipe from Smitten Kitchen, using our garlic scapes instead of green onions, and subbing chicken broth for milk. It can also be yummy to add sauteed mushrooms!). You just never know, eh?

What did you discover in your box this week? Which ingredient are you most looking forward to this season? Be sure to let me know!

If at any time, you find you're not enjoying the recipes, feel free to send me feedback or ask to unsubscribe from the recipe emails--I won't be offended!

Likewise, if you discover a fantastic recipe for one of our ingredients, please share the wealth! Special thanks to Nadine Nader who has passed along to me a stash of many helpful recipes.

All the best,LauraLexington Ave CSA Core Member

June 19, 2017

Dear Lex Ave CSA 2017,

This week's box will include more greens, but also a few yummy ingredients that might feel really new to you. You know, the kind of things you've never seen in Fairway or noticed in Whole Foods before...

The first is Kohlrabi. This Kitchn list of five tasty ways to prepare this off-the-beaten-path veggie may inspire you to try something new. This Martha Stewart recipe for slaw looks especially promising!

The next new veggie is garlic scapes. This flower bud of the garlic plant brings garlicky goodness home early in the season. It is wonderful to add garlicky flavor to anything, but I especially look forward to trying this yummy grill recipe soon.

Have you ever tried Purslane before? I haven't! I love the creative ideas here though, (especially the one with yogurt). Looking forward to making a first attempt!

Does anyone else compost your veggie scraps? I hear you can drop off food scraps at the 96th Street entrance to the 6 train on Wednesday mornings between 7:15-10:30am, or at the Greenmarket on 1st Ave between 92nd and 93rd on Sundays between 9am and 1pm (beginning June 25th). This is something our family used to do in Vancouver (it was required and managed by the City!) and we would like to start doing again. Let me know if you have any tips for composting in the city!

If at any time, you find you're not enjoying the recipes, feel free to send me feedback or ask to unsubscribe from the recipe emails--I won't be offended! Nobody wants an inbox cluttered with unwanted information!

Likewise, if you discover a fantastic recipe for one of our ingredients, please share the wealth! Special thanks to Nadine Nader who has passed along to me a stash of many helpful recipes.

All the best,LauraLexington Ave CSA Core Member

June 12, 2017

Dear Lexington Avenue CSA subscribers for 2017,

I hope you've enjoyed your first week's bounty as much as we have! I can hardly believe how tasty, satisfying and filling it is to eat farm-fresh, organic greens daily.

This week we can look forward to more leafy greens. Make sure to use up the spicy cut greens like arugula and mizuna earlier in the week as they may be packed with nutrients, but they don't tend to last as long. Check out these 7 ideas for using mizuna.

Bringing your salads to work or trying to keep motivated to enjoy them for lunch? Try these 5 tips for packing a week's salads ahead on Sunday (or Monday) night.

Looking for ways to branch out from the salad? Try using the ribs and outer leaves you might have wasted to make a soup (arugula and spinach also invited for the fun). Or try this slideshow wittily entitled "Spring Lettuce: 15 ideas, zero salads."

Curious about how to keep your basil transplants alive and thriving? Check out this post about growing basil.

Many thanks to Dorota for passing along a recipe for Italian style bok choi with cannellini beans. The recipe is a good reminder that it's okay to break out of the mold and use an ingredient we typically associate with one type of cuisine (like Chinese wok cooking) and use it in other ways.

If at any time, you find you're not enjoying the recipes, feel free to send me feedback or ask to unsubscribe from the recipe emails--I won't be offended! Nobody wants an inbox cluttered with unwanted information!

Likewise, if you discover a fantastic recipe for one of our ingredients, please share the wealth! Special thanks to Nadine Nader who has passed along to me a stash of many helpful recipes.

All the best,

LauraLexington Ave CSA Core Member

June 5, 2017

Dear Lexington Avenue CSA subscribers for 2017,

I'm excited to take on the task of sending out recipe emails this year. The goal is to help you feel inspired about how to get the most use out of your vegetable share week by week.

Though I'm a veteran CSA subscriber from our former home in Vancouver, Canada, I found this list of five ways to get the most out of a CSA subscription helpful--especially number two about how using ingredients multiple ways will help when there is a lot of one ingredient. Because...

This week's share is heavy on lovely leafy lettuce. Don't let it go bad before you can eat it up! This video includes a great trick for storing your lettuces so they will stay fresh for up to three weeks.

Boc Choi is wonderful in stir fries or as a steamed side. This list of ten ways to love this Asian ingredient will inspire you to think about it in different ways.

I don't know about you, but rhubarb is one of my very favorite unique spring ingredients. Its tart flavor mixes wonderfully into sweet treats like coffee cakes,pies, and jams. It's especially yummy paired with strawberries, but don't be afraid to try it on its own.

Have you ever tried cooking with radishes or radish greens? Give it a try this week with one of these recipes and let me know how it goes. :)

If at any time, you find you're not enjoying the recipes, feel free to send me feedback or ask to unsubscribe from the recipe emails--I won't be offended! Nobody wants an inbox cluttered with unwanted information! Likewise, if you discover a fantastic recipe for one of our ingredients, please share the wealth!

All the best,

LauraLexington Ave CSA Core Member

July 2016

We received several request regarding our plentiful summer squash. These recipes specifically say Zucchini, but I have substituted other summer squash. Here are a few recipes that I love or have gotten solid reviews from my other CSA friends, hope these suggestions help.

Zucchini Butter(Great for dipping bread, crackers or substitute for mayo or butter during the summer)

Pan Grilled Ratatouille (No need to turn on the oven! Feel free to substitute fresh tomatoes or other herbs. You can also use a non-stick pan to reduce the amount of oil)

As many of my clients, teammates, friends and family know, I love to eat seasonally, locally and as much as possible organically. As long distance runners who put physical demands on our bodies, we need to replenish our bodies nutritionally. Eating foods that are abundant in season are not only delicious, they provide us the necessary vitamins and minerals our bodies need for the current season and the season ahead. I am sharing several recipes using seasonal ingredients. I often cook and prepare many of my meals vegan and or vegetarian, but I have noted how to make each of the recipes with dairy and/or meat to please carnivores too. Great food to carbo load before a long run and perfect for a post-run recovery meal.